Confessions of a burger addict

Soooooo...I have a confession to make. I'm addicted to burgers. I state this as a "confession" because in my line of work (music-blogging, editing), half the people you meet are vegetarians, and admitting a sweet spot for the red stuff is sometimes met with disdain -- as if, out of ALL the meaty indulgences out there, I had to go pick the bloodiest, beefiest one. (Not that I really care what others think of my meat habits.)

Hard Rock Cafe, Surfer's Paradise, burger

Anyway, I suppose it first started back when I was a child, growing up in my parents' house in Jersey. Every weekend, or at least, every weekend the weather was nice -- my parents would fire up the old gas grill and cook up a half dozen burger babies -- smothered in cheese, and covered with Jersey fresh tomatoes -- and we'd all sit on the deck and watch the sunset, and eat burgers. And it ruled.

And during the winter, my mom would always cook these amazing family recipes (like meatloaf, and chicken cacciatore and breaded pork chops) -- and they were all totally delicious -- but nothing came close to sitting on the deck, the whole family together, celebrating summer and togetherness over burgers.

Sweet deck. (Not at my parents' house [I wish.])

From then on, I always liked burgers, and in high school and even college, getting a burger with friends was part of an active social life -- after play practice, or a debate tournament (I was super popular in high school, if you can't tell) -- my friends and I would all pile into my '93 Ford Taurus and off we'd go, to Friendlies, where a burger and conehead sundae were just the beginning of undeniable fun times.

Friendly's bacon cheeseburger

When I met my college boyfriend (the handsome Matt -- who I'm still with now!) grabbing a burger was our de facto date option, since we were both too poor to go anywhere nice, and had limited options for cooking ourselves, unless we wanted to use oil and a frying pan in the communal kitchen at Pilam.

Pilam kitchen, circa 2005. Not even joking. Before I moved in (thank GOD!)

Now that I'm older, I have my OWN kitchen, and a grill, and sometimes on summer weekends, I get up close and personal with ground beef and onions, and make my own yummy patties. But mostly, I like exploring OTHER places' burgers, to find the juiciest, and most delicious burger of all. I haven't found it yet, but I DO have a few faves. Here are my top burger stops in my neighborhood, Center City.


1. Misconduct Tavern. The Misconduct burger is large, juicy, perfectly cooked, and comes with a heaping portion of aoli and fries. This burger is consistently awesome, although at 1/2 a pound, I try to save it for special occasions / weeks when I won't be wearing a bathing suit, as this bad boy causes some SERIOUS bloating.

Misconduct burger. Courtesy of Yelp user Walter K.

2. Good Dog. The Good Dog burger comes filled with Roquefort cheese, which is one of my favorite things in the world, and even better in a burger. Sometimes I dream about this burger. It should be noted however that the regular burger (sans the cheese) is nothing special, which makes me wonder if the Roquefort isn't all just clever enticement. I've been enticed by cheese before.

Good Dog burger. Courtesy of Yelp user Tina L.

3. Ted's Montana Grill. Is it embarrassing to admit that I've dined at Ted's, and think their burger is decent enough to warrant a shout-out? Maybe it is, but for all you naysayers, I have one word for you: buffalo. Mmm, buffalo. The buffalo burger is so lean and juicy, it makes you salivate. Try it with the blue cheese olived-stuffed martini!

Ted's bison burger. From Yelp user Xavier P. God bless you, Yelp.

4. Grace Tavern. Arguably not in the neighborhood, but so good I had to include it anyway! The perfect burger trifeca of affordability, quality and deliciousness. When the Grace Burger is good, it is soooooooo good -- and when it's not good, it's cuz there's no one else in the joint, they turned on the grill just for you, and accidentally charred it. But a charred Grace burger still beats most others in my book.

Grace burger. From Foodzings

5. FIVE GUYS. Yeah, there's lots of other decent burgers in town: Locust Rendezvous does a bang-up job for about $7, and Doobies has burgers, board games, and atmosphere. But let's be honest here: if I have an undeniable burger hankering, and about $5 in my wallet (as is usually the case): you can't beat The Guys of Five. This jawn is large, fresh, and comes with all the free, delicious toppings you want. My biggest challenge? Carrying it all the way home without being tempted to eat it on the way!

FIVE GUYS LOVE FEST.

Speaking of which...just writing this blog post (and finding all these burger photos) has me pretty much gnawing my hand off here...sooooo I'm gonna stop now and turn to you instead. Where do YOU think the best burger in Philly is? And most importantly: how soon can I get one?

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Best New Music: Cherry Ghost

From murder ballads with skulking strings -- to harrowing narratives awash in vamping -- Manchester's Cherry Ghost are first and foremost mood-makers -- and the dominant mood on Beneath This Burning Shoreline, their second full-length on Heavenly Records -- is one of restlessness and brooding: ambivalent lovers and unlikely heroes searching -- for love, peace, and personal understanding -- and always coming up short-handed, if not wiser for the wear.

CG.

And while it may be dark, it's certainly engaging --gothic undertones resonating in your brain, as you're flooded with images of dusty roads, deserted grave yards and caped avengers who flee into the night -- leaving lovers and widows only to pick up the pieces.

Google image 10 for "gothic landscape." Exactly how I pictured it!

Wanna read more? Check out my full review of this cinematic pleaser at your go-to-spot for all things musical, Phrequency.com.

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Band Crush: The Positions

They hail from the great city of Washington, DC -- where discussing your "position" isn't just bedroom talk -- and where political stances and viewpoints contribute greatly to the fabric of every day life.

lol, politics

But the position most commonly espoused by this boisterous 6-piece is that regarding music-making -- and when it comes to this underrated science, The Positions land strongly on the "pop" side of things.

"Pop music as an approach is putting immediate appeal as your number one priority, and in that sense, we're definitely a pop band," says front man Ivan Ramiscal to Secret DC.

The Positions

A force on the scene for 8 years now, The Positions have delighted crowds with their sunny, feel-good pop -- proving that the capital city isn't ALL Fugazi cover bands and wannabes. Their debut album, Bliss!, dropped back in 2005; now -- "5 years, 3 marriages, 2 babies and 1 last name change" later (their words!!) -- they're back with Tonight -- a summery, 6-song EP as delightful as a day at the beach.




Cheery horns and jangly guitars keep things moving while front woman Nicole Scanniello's vocals are sweet and sincere. Opener "Park Slope" is breezy and understated -- trumpet and flugelhorn mirroring guitar -- while "The real thing" has a tweeish Belle & Sebastian bounce. The title track is upbeat and sassy -- and "HI/CA" (acronym unknown!) is a vampy toe-tapper. It all adds up to one charming listen -- scoop it up at BandCamp for just $3.

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Music Video Mondays: Janelle Monae

This one comes to me via my good friend Dave, who has been extolling the values of Ms. Monae for quite some time now.

A multi-talented singer/artist/dancer -- with roots in the Broadway tradition, and a Grammy nod already under her belt -- this 24-year-old's tight, futuristic sound and stunning vocal chops have won the attention of everyone from Sean "Diddy" Combs (who signed her to his Bad Boy Records label in '07) to Of Montreal (who she's touring with this fall) to the taste-makers at Pitchfork, who named her most recent, The ArchAndroid, Best New Music for 2010.

Anyway, this video pretty much speaks for itself; so without further ado:

Oh, and if anyone wants to buy me a present in the near future (or the distant future. I'm not picky!) I'd love love LOVE a pair of her amazing saddle shoes!

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You asked for it; here it is........SUMMER VACATION MIX 2!

So, I got so many compliments on my first summer vacation mix (for those who missed out: check it out here) that I decided to make a second one!

Vintage postcard, from my homeland!

That's right -- you asked for music, you get music! (Because this blog is all about democracy.) Check out mix number 2 HERE -- then hang on to your river tube, because this bad boy rocks hard, and is not afraid to take prisoners!




Previously on UE: SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER; Stream my vacation mix for free!

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Best New Music: Best Coast

Sooo...casual readers of this blog might notice that I've been somewhat obsessed with BEST COAST -- the sunny, summery, lo-fi project from Cali's Bethany Cosentino -- for some time now. And why not? If I could dream up my fantasy band, it would probably sound something like this: all poppy, surf-inspired tunes and confessional-style lyrics, drenched in reverb and luscious bass lines.




I've been eagerly awaiting the release of their debut LP, Crazy for You, and, well, actually it's not out for another 6 days, but savvy interneters I'm sure will locate it anyway and when they do, they will agree that THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST THING TO COME OUT ALL SUMMER. (or something like that.) Read more about why Crazy totally rules at your favorite weekly new music bazaar, Phrequency.com.

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Haiku Review: Yo La Tengo

On the clock!, play new
songs, old songs -- WAIT! Here comes the
Sun Ra Arkestra!!



Photo Inna Spivakova for Phrequency.com



Read the full review (of YLT and others!) at the 2010 XPoNential Music Festival here.

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XPoNential Fest: In Photos!

Here are some amateur photos I shot during XPN's 17th annual XPoNential Music Festival, this past weekend at Wiggins Park.

Stay tuned to Phrequency.com for more (professional!) photos (from the talented Inna S.) and a detailed review by yours truly, up later today.


Toy Soldiers:

(click any photo to enlarge)

Dutch:






Alejandro Escovedo:








Ben Arnold:









Grace Potter and the Nocturnals:














The Walkmen:










Yo La Tengo (with special guests the Sun Ra Arkestra!!):














Crowds gathering on the hillside, Friday night:



Me, outfitted in my festival gear!




The festival, shot from the ferry on the Delaware River. So much awesomeness!!



All photos (c) Kate Bracaglia and/or Phrequency.com Do not use without permission.

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